7 Days Tanzania Safari: Tarangire, Lake Manyara, Serengeti & Ngorongoro Crater

Your adventure begins upon arrival at Kilimanjaro International Airport (JRO) or Arusha Airport (ARK), where you’ll be warmly welcomed by your driver-guide. After a short transfer, check in to your hotel in Arusha, the starting point for all northern Tanzania safaris.

Settle into your lodge and enjoy a relaxing evening surrounded by views of Mount Meru. Over dinner, your guide will provide a full briefing and answer any questions about your upcoming safari.

Overnight: Arusha Planet Lodge / Ilboru Safari Lodge / Four Points by Sheraton
Meals: Dinner

After breakfast, depart for Tarangire National Park, a drive of approximately 2.5 hours. Known for its massive baobab trees and large concentrations of elephants, Tarangire is one of Tanzania’s hidden gems.

Enjoy a full-day game drive across its diverse habitats, from savannahs to riverbanks and swampy lowlands. The Tarangire River, a permanent water source, draws animals throughout the year, making this park especially rich in sightings of lions, buffaloes, giraffes, warthogs, and various antelope species. Keep an eye out for leopards, which are known to rest in the trees during the heat of the day.

Overnight: Tarangire Safari Lodge / Sangaiwe Tented Camp
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

After breakfast, drive to Lake Manyara National Park (approx. 1.5 hrs). Often underrated, this park offers unique biodiversity packed into a small area. It features lush groundwater forests, open grasslands, hot springs, and the alkaline lake itself.

Begin your mid-morning game drive with chances to spot tree-climbing lions, large elephant families, hippos, and a variety of primates, including blue monkeys and baboons. The lake is a haven for birdlife, look out for flamingos, herons, pelicans, and African fish eagles.

Enjoy a picnic lunch in the park and continue exploring before heading to your lodge in the nearby town of Karatu.

Overnight: Marera Valley Lodge / Country Lodge Karatu
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

After an early breakfast, depart for Serengeti National Park. The drive takes you through the highlands of Ngorongoro Conservation Area, offering scenic views and optional stops at local markets or the Olduvai Gorge museum (optional and entry fee extra).

As you descend into the vast Serengeti plains, enjoy a game drive en route. The name "Serengeti" means "endless plains" in Maasai, and the scenery will immediately make sense, golden grasslands dotted with acacias stretch as far as the eye can see.

The central Serengeti (Seronera area) is known for year-round wildlife, especially lions, cheetahs, leopards, and hyenas, along with zebras, giraffes, and buffaloes.

Overnight: Serengeti Tortilis Camp / Serengeti Heritage Camp / Serengeti Serena Lodge
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Enjoy a full day of uninterrupted safari in the Serengeti, which may include early morning, midday, and sunset game drives. If your visit coincides with the Great Wildebeest Migration (typically between June and October in this area), prepare to witness one of the world’s most dramatic wildlife spectacles, thousands of wildebeests and zebras on the move, stalked by predators.

The Serengeti’s variety of habitats, from rocky outcrops (kopjes) to grasslands and riverine forests, support an incredible range of animals. Expect to see elephants, ostriches, topis, elands, and possibly caracals or servals.

Optional: Sunrise hot air balloon safari with champagne breakfast (pre-booking required, additional cost).

Overnight: Same Serengeti Camp or Lodge
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

After breakfast and a final morning game drive in Serengeti, begin your journey toward the Ngorongoro Crater. This scenic drive retraces your steps through the Serengeti and continues through rolling Maasai lands and conservation areas.

Arrive at your lodge on the crater rim by late afternoon. From here, enjoy breathtaking views of the crater floor below. Take time to relax, soak in the scenery, and prepare for tomorrow’s crater descent.

Overnight: Ngorongoro Rhino Lodge / Ngorongoro Serena Safari Lodge
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Rise early for a descent into the Ngorongoro Crater, a UNESCO World Heritage Site often called “Africa’s Eden.” This volcanic caldera hosts one of the densest populations of wildlife in Africa.

Spend the morning game driving on the crater floor, where you can encounter black rhinos, lions, buffaloes, hippos, flamingos, and more. The crater’s unique topography and vegetation make it a prime spot for diverse animal sightings.

Enjoy a picnic lunch by a hippo pool, then begin your drive back to Arusha, arriving in the late afternoon or early evening. Optional drop-off at your hotel or airport for onward flights.

End of Safari
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch